The Massachusetts Town That Banned Booze for 150 Years Gets Its First Real Taproom

Rockport Brewing Company. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

On July 8, 1856, nearly 200 Rockport, Massachusetts townspeople descended upon local establishments, intent on destroying all the alcohol they could find. People called them the “hatchet gang” for the weapons they used to ruin bottles and kegs. History books cite this raid as one of the earliest events of the temperance movement that eventually led to Prohibition. After that night, Rockport remained a dry town for the better part of 150 years (aside from a quick blip post-Prohibition) until a 2005 voter referendum reinstated alcohol service at restaurants.

Fifteen more years passed before Rockport got its first hometown beer—naturally, a New England-style IPA dubbed Hatchet. “I wanted to make that our first [brew], not so much as a poke in the eye, but more to acknowledge the history,” says Ray Pickup, who cofounded Rockport Brewing Company out of his shed along with his wife, Jordana, in 2020. This spring, the Pickups will open their beer company’s first brick-and-mortar location, a 60-seat taproom and one-barrel nanobrewery at Rockport’s Whistlestop Mall.

Rockport Brewing Company. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

“I want it to be a spot for residents to come and chill out,” says Pickup, who moved from his native South Boston here to his wife’s hometown in 2013. Situated directly next to the Rockport Commuter Rail Station and within walking distance from downtown and the waterfront, the taproom is meant to attract both locals and visitors.

Operating Thursday through Sunday to start, 11 a.m. until 8 or 9 p.m., the taproom will ramp up to seven days a week in the summer. “I don’t want this to be a bar room,” Pickup says. “I don’t want people in here until midnight.” The taproom won’t have televisions, but it will have outdoor seating, occasional live music, and a pizza-focused menu out of the small, open kitchen. The space also offers shared parking with neighboring businesses.

Rockport Brewing Company. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

The relaxed, pub-style atmosphere is a dream realized for a one-time bartender and retired union leader. Pickup is a career glazier (a tradesperson who installs glass), and until recently, a contract administrator with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT). The role required daily commutes into Boston and frequent travel. “I always maintain that if I was a single guy, it’s the best job you could possibly have, representing working people,” Pickup says. But he’s actually a father of three kids under 6 years old. Making beer was just a hobby—albeit one that earned him a few medals over the years in amateur beer competitions—until he decided to step back from his intensive career. “Now it’s time to focus on my family,” the 41-year-old says. “All those things I’ve learned over my lifetime, now I can integrate that into this community.”

Rockport Brewing Company founders Ray and Jordana Pickup. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

Once the doors open, Rockport Brewing Co. will be a year-round employment option in the tourist-focused town for a handful of people, and hiring upwards of 20 folks in-season. Pickup is proud to offer his full-time workers health insurance and also plans to sign the business onto a local union, he says.

Key team members so far include Brian Noonan, who is the company’s director of sales. The two men met 20 years ago when they were both bartenders at Cask ‘n Flagon in Fenway. Max Singer-Aguanno is the chef, who brings to the taproom years of kitchen experience from his native Albany area, as well as at North Shore spots like the seasonal Gloucester restaurant Talise.

Art by Alessandra Marshall (ASM Mosaics) at Rockport Brewing Company. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

An artists’ community has also been involved in Rockport Brewing from the start by creating distinctive labels for its beers. In the taproom, gallery walls highlight these locals, including ASM Mosaics’ Alessandra Marshall, whose mosaic fish graces the label of bestseller Pescato Italian Pilsner (Marshall grew up in Florence, Italy), and Stefan Mierz, a landscape painter and cofounder of the Art Nook Gallery on Bearskin Neck, who created the art for Twin Lights Double IPA.

Rockport Brewing Company. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

The galleries add color to the cozy space, which features exposed beams and hardwood floors patinated with sanded-down glue from bygone laminate flooring. The building, which was formerly a café called Whale’s Jaw and before that, Studio Crepe (both of which were also known for hosting live music),dates back to the 19th century. Pickup intends to keep the taproom quaint and community-focused. “I love that old nostalgic look,” he says. That said, Pickup hopes to negotiate with the landlord to eventually add more space in an adjacent building for added seating and more production.

Rockport Brewing Company. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

Since Hatchet, an easy-drinking yet full-bodied hazy IPA, entered the retail market in June 2020, Rockport Brewing Co. has added other beers to its core lineup. It meets distribution demand by contract brewing, currently out of Castle Island Brewing in Norwood. That relationship will continue, and Rockport’s distributed beers will be available at the taproom, along with exclusive, draft-only new brews and seasonals.

Rockport Brewing Company. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

Pickup anticipates a mid-April debut for the taproom; watch Rockport Brewing’s Instagram account for updates on an opening date. Local approval for Rockport’s pouring license was granted in late February, and now Pickup is finalizing the taproom space and awaiting the sign-off from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. In a matter of days, Rockport will transform from a temperance stronghold to a community where residents and visitors can drink Hatchets, not swing them.

Rockport Brewing Company. / Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi

17 Railroad Ave., Rockport, rockportbrewingcompany.com.